Humidifier



May 31, 1932. Fox 1,861,340

' HUMIDIFIER Filed July, 30, 1928 ATTORNEYJ vide a device 0 1 in thefollowing Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE immu'rr L.rox, or CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA numrmrmn.

Application filed July 30, 1928. Serial No. 298,151.

My invention relates to improvements in humidifiers, and it consists inthe combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described andclaimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a humidifier in which the airwithin aroom or the like may be assed through a spray or mist of water,whereby the air will become effectively humidified. v

A further ob'ect of my invention is to prothe type described which hasnovel means for circulating Water therethrough.

A further ob'ect of my invention is to provide a device 0 the typedescribed which has a heating unit for heating the water as it iscirculated therethrough.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed which washes the air that is forced therefrom.

Other objects and advantages will appear features of the invention willbe particularl pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. forming partof this application, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device,a portion thereof being shown in section,

Figure -2 is a front elevation of my device,

Figure 3 is a detail view of a portion of my device, and

Figure 4 is a detail view of my heating device.

In carrying out my invention, provide a base 1 which is in the form of areceptacle adapted to receive and contain water indicated at 2. A motor3 is. mounted u on the base and is provided with a motor sha t4. A worm5 is carried by one end of the shaft 4 and is in mesh with a worm gear6. The

worm gear 6 is operatively connected to a. connecting.

crank 7 which has one end of a rod- 8 pivotally secured thereto.

A pumping unit 9 is disposed in the base or receptacle 1, see Figure l.The pumping unit 9 may be of any desired construction but in the presentinstance I have shown a casing 10 in which a diaphragm 11 is disposedand has its outer edges secured to the inner specification, and thenovel necting rod 8 is secured to the center of the diaphragm 11. Aninlet tube 12 communicates with the casing 10 and extends to a pointsubstantially adjacent the bottom of the receptacle 1. A ball valve 13is disposed in the casing 10 and arranged to close the inlet tube whenforce is applied thereagainst, as will be hereinafter described.

A fan 14 is mounted upon the shaft 4 and is rovided with fan blades 15.An inner diiihsing member 16 is secured to the fan b1ades15 concentricwith the shaft 4. An outer diffusing member 17 is secured to the fanblades 15 concentric with the inner diffusing member 16. The members 16and 17 are provided with a multiplicity of'relatively fine openings 18.A receiving cup 19 having a plurality of openings 20 in the peripheralsurface thereof is carried by the central portion of the fan 14. Adelivery pipe 21 has one end in communication with the receiving cup 19and 1113118 other end extending. into the receptacle 1 and incommunication with a regulating valve 22. A tube 23 has one endcommunicating with the regulating valve 22 ahd the other end incommunication with the-pump casing 10. A suitable check valve 22 isprovided for the outlet tube 23.

core 24 which has a passageway 25 there through adapted to providecommunication between the tubes 23'and 21. A branch passageway 26communicates with the passageway 25 and is adapted to be brought intocommunication with an outlet 27. The passageway 25 adjacent the pipe 23is provided with an enlarged portion 28.

A hood 29 is mounted upon the base 1 and extends around the fan 14. Thehood 29 is provided with a relatively large inlet opening 30 and arelatively large outlet.opening 31. An annular flange 32 extendsinwardly from the outer edge of the hood and around the outlet opening31. Communication is provided at'32 between the hood 29 and thereceptacle 1.

A suitable heating device33, having a heatfor electrically connectingthe heating element 34 with a source of current through the conductors36 and 37 A suitable filling plug138 is provided for the receptacle orElse From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device,the operation thereof may be readily understood. Let us assume that thereceptacle 1 is filled with water and that the motor 3 is set in motion.The actuation of the motor will cause rotation of the shaft 4, togetherwith the fan 14:, the receiving cup 19, and the diflusing members 16 and17. Rotation of'the shaft 4 will cause rotation of the crank 7' due toits connection through the worm 'gear to the worm 5. R0- tation of thecrank 7 will cause a reciprocatory movement of the connecting rod 8,thus causing movement'of the diaphragm 11.

As the diaphragm 11 moves upwardly, water will be drawn through theinlet tube 12, past the ball valve 13, and into the pump casing 10.Downward movement of the diaphragm 11 will force the portion of thewater in the casing 10 through the tube 23. The ball valve 13 preventsthe water from passing back into the receptacle through the tube 12.

The regulating valve 22 is adapted to allow any desired amount of thewater forced from the casing 10 to pass through the delivery tube 21 andinto the receiving cup 19. As illustrated in Figure 3, the passageway 25is not in direct alignment with the tubes 23 and 21. Furthermore, thepassageway 26 is not in direct communication with the outlet 27Therefore, a certain portion of the water passing through the tube 23will pass through the tube 21 and the remaining portion will passthrough the outlet 27 and back to the receptacle. The more the core 24of the valve 22 is rotated to bring the passageway 26 into alignmentwith the outlet opening 27, the less will be the amount of water allowedto pass through the passagewayv 25 and into the tube 21 due to the factthat the passageway 25 is being moved away from the tube 21.

The water passing through the tube 21 to the revolving receiving cup 19is discharged by centrifugal force through openings '20 in the receivingcup in the form of small drops lets and in paths which are approximatelytangential to the periphery of the cylindrical face ofthe receiving cup.These droplets impinge against the revolving difi'using member 16 whoseperipheral velocity is higher than that of the receiving cup and are cutor chopped by this action and thus reduced in size. Upon passing throughthe diffusing member, the direction of travel of the droplets is alsochanged to a path approximately tangential to the periphery of thediffusing member. This action-is repeated at the second diffusing member17,

the droplet being chopped into smaller ones, the velocity of travelincreased and the direction of their paths altered so as to betangential to the cylindrical surface of the difiusing member 17. Thisaction is repeated at each successive diffusing member; it not being theintention that the humidifier be limited to but two diffusing members.

During the rotation of the diffusing members, it will be seen that airwill be drawn inwardly in the direction of the fan 14 through theopening 30, passed through the mist or spray members, and outwardlythrough the opening 31. It will thus be seen that I have provided adevice by means of which the air passing through the hood 29 will becomeeffectively humidified largely by the contact with the droplets of waterand to a lesser degree by a contact with the wetted surfaces. The mistor spray in collecting upon the inner side of the hood 29 will passdownwardly by theaction of gravity and through the outlet 32 of the hood29 and into the receptacle 1.

The size of the droplets of the liquid passing from the receiving cup 19and the members 16 and 17 may be varied by changing the speed of thefan. Changing the speed of the fan may be accomplished by actuating amulti-point switch 40 indicated diagrammatically in Figure 1. The switch40 is associated with the motor 3, whereby various speeds of therotating members may be attained. The flange 32 will prevent the watercollected upon the inner surface of the hood from being swept along thesurface of the collecting hood 29 by the air and passing to the exteriorof the hood through the opening 31.

Should it be desired to increase the amount of water evaporated by theair passing through the hood, or should it be desired to humidify theair without lowering its tem perature at the outlet of the hood, theswitch 35 may be actuated for closing the circuit through the heatingelement 34, whereby only that liquid passing through the heating device33 will become heated.

Iclaim: 1. A humidifier comprisin taining receptacle, a source 0 power,a hoo associated with said receptacle and having communication with theinterior of the latter, a fan operatively connected with said source ofpower and being disposed within the hood, spray-forming means associatedwith said fan, a pumping device operatively connected with said sourceof power and arranged for moving liquid from the receptacle to saidspray-forming device, liquid-conveying means connecting said pumpingdevice with the spray-forming device, and heating means operativelyconnected with said conveying means for heating liquid passin from thereceptacle to said spray-forming device. 2. A humidifier comprising aliquid-cona liquid-c011- taining receptacle, a source of power, a hoodassociated with said receptacle and having communication with theinterior of the'latter, a fan operatively connected with said source ofpower and being disposed within the hood, with said tan, a pumpingdevice operatively connected with said source of power and arranged formoving liquid "from the receptacle to said spray-forming device,liquid-conveying means connecting said pumping device with thespray-fonning device, heating means operatively connected with saidconveying means for heating liquid passing from the receptacle to saidspray-forming device, and means for varyingthe amount of liquid conveyedto the s ray-forming device.

Signed at hicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 23rdday of July,

MERRITT L. FOX.

spray-forming means associated I

